Everyone Needs a Someone
by animefreak2797
Summary: She loved him with all her heart, but their love was forbidden. She was a Shinigami, he was an Arrancar, and their people were in the middle of a war with each other. After watching him die she mysteriously obtains power and is accused of treason. To hide from the Soul Society, she escapes to the World of the Living only to come face to face with the one who murdered her love.
1. Chapter 1: Shinigami

A/N: Hey thanks for reading! :) This is my first fanfiction and I'm still trying to figure out the website so forgive me if there are mistakes. The Setting of this story is 4 months after the Winter War and there will be no Xcution or Vandenreich in this story. I'm really excited about this story and i hope you enjoy it :)

Prologue:

Her soft brown eyes gazed over the squad ten barracks for one last time. She had only been a Shinigami for three months, but now she was being accused of treason. She had to leave. Now.

She sheathed her Zanpakuto, Toshimaru, diagonally across her back, swung her bag onto her shoulder, then flash stepped out of the Seireitei before the other Shinigami discovered that she was gone.

Sho watched the Seireitei fade away as she ran into the dark woods. 'Do not cry. Do not cry.' she chastised herself. A tear escaped her eye and fell down her check. She quickly swept it away and continued to run.

She knew exactly where to hide. A place no one would find her. Her Grandma's house.

Chapter 1: Shinigami

Sho remembered the day she moved into her grandmother's house clearly, despite the fact that she was very young when it occurred.

_/ "Sho, honey come inside, its time for lunch." a petite woman in her early thirties called out to her young daughter._

_"Coming mommy!" answered the little girl. The girl was about the age_ _of 7 with short dark brown hair and soft brown eyes. When the mother disappeared_ _back into the house the little child ran to retrieve her ball from the bushes_ _it had rolled into earlier. The girl bent down into the bushes and suddenly_ _heard a low growl. Sho looked up slowly and came face to face with a hollow._

_The mother and father came running to their daughter's aid when they heard the_ _screaming. The father immediately charged the hollow to save his child, while_ _the mother picked up her daughter and ran in the direction of the house._

_Sho buried her face deep into her mother's shoulder to keep from crying. The_ _girl heard a sharp cry and her mother stopped running._

_Sho looked up into her mother's face to see a quick expression of shock and_ _then nothing. The light left her mother's eyes and she fell to the ground on_ _top of Sho._

_"Mommy! Mommy, you're hurting me!" cried the little girl as she tried_ _to crawl out from under her mother's corpse._

_Sho screamed out in agony when she saw both her parents sprawled on the ground_ _bleeding to death._

_The hollow took notice of her and charged. The girl closed her eyes and covered_ _her head waiting for the blow that never came. Sho opened one of her eyes and_ _then the other. The hollow was now staring at something else. A young boy,_ _about her age, with shaggy, raven black hair and piercing green eyes. The boy's_ _eyes were determined and showed no sign of fear._

_"Hey, Stupid!" the boy called. "Leave her alone!" The_ _hollow seemed to not take a liking to the name calling and with one swing of_ _his tail swept the boy off his feet and threw him against a tree. Sho stared at_ _the small unmoving boy with horror. She rushed to his side and took note of the_ _blood rolling down his face. The little girl held the boy in her arms and_ _cowered away from the hollow to protect the boy who had protected her._

_There was a sudden shriek coming from the hollow. Sho looked up to see a man in_ _a long black kimono. In his hand was a unique looking sword pointed at the_ _hollow, which was now bleeding. The mysterious man charged at the hollow and_ _with a single strike to the mask, turned it to dust._

_Sho whimpered at the sight of another enemy and hugged the boy in her arms_ _tighter. The man turned around and started to approach her._

_"Are you two all right?" the man reached out to touch the girl, but_ _Sho cowered even more._

_"It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a Shinigami." he beamed_ _with pride._

_"Shinigami?" the girl asked in a barely audible whisper._

_"Yes, I kill hollows and help people in trouble like you two. That's what_ _Shinigami do." he smiled gently and offered her his hand. "I'd like_ _to help tend to your wounds and to your friend's. He seems badly hurt."_

_"What about mommy and daddy?" the little girl asked._

_A shadow crossed over the Shinigami's face as he looked down._

_With a sorrowful voice he answered "Your mommy and daddy want me to help_ _you first."_

_The girl nodded and offered the little boy, she had clung so tightly to, to the_ _Shinigami. The man scooped up the little boy into his arms and started walking_ _towards the girl's house._

_"By the way, my name's Kaien. Kaien Shiba." the Shinigami informed_ _her. Kaien was tall with black spiky hair, aqua green eyes, and sharp facial_ _features. On his left arm a swirling tattoo peeked out from under his sleeve; a_ _tattoo proving that he belonged to the Shiba clan._

_"Kaien." the girl whispered, testing the name out._

_"Yep, that's my name. What's yours?" Kaien looked down at the little_ _girl who was walking beside him now._

_The girl was hesitant to answer, but after a couple of seconds she told him,_ _"S-Sho. My name is Sho." she said proudly, even though her voice_ _trembled._

_"Well Sho, let's go fix you and your friend up." Kaien smiled./_

Sho never forgot that kind Shinigami. He was the one who inspired her to become one. She hoped to meet him again one day in order to thank him for the kindness he showed toward her and her soon to be new friend, Ulquiorra.


	2. Chapter 2: Gone

A/N: Wow the last chapter ended with a cliffhanger ;) I hope you're enjoying the story. I'm going to try and upload one chapter per week, but between homework, sports, and sleeping it will be a little difficult. I wrote this chapter pretty fast and I'm uploading this today to thank my first ever reviewers: Thx Daghrgenzeen and Tayler Snape13! In the last chapter I forgot to mention that the italicized words are memories. So hope you enjoy! I love reading yalls reviews so keep reviewing :) Now on with the story!

Chapter 2: Gone

"Captain Hitsugaya. I bring a message from Central 46." reported the man who knelt on one knee with his head bowed in respect.

"At ease. Relay the message to me." said the young, white-haired captain.

"Central 46 demands the audience of one of your subordinates, Sho Tashiro, immediately."

"Hm, Sho Tashiro? Matsumoto!"

Rangiku Matsumoto lifted her head up from the couch holding up a bottle of saki in her hand. "Eh, what is it Captain?" she slurred

"Who is Sho Tashiro?" the captain asked with a twinge of annoyance in his voice

"Sho? Sho? Sho? Ah! She's one'a the new recruits. Came about three months ago." Rangiku giggled and took a swig from the bottle of saki.

Toshiro turned to the messenger "What does Central 46 want with her?"

"I'm not at liberty to say." the messenger answered.

"Fine. Matsumoto! Get off the couch and go get Sho Tashiro." Toshiro ordered as he sat back down in his desk to continue his paperwork.

"Why does it always have to be me." Rangiku whined as she lifted herself off the couch and stumbled toward the door, not forgetting her saki bottle as she left.

"Oh yes, your life is so difficult." Toshiro spat sarcastically.

* * *

"Shoooooooo! Sho Tashiro! Come out, come out wherever you are!" Rangiku banged here fist against the doors of the new Shinigami's quarters. She rested her head against the door as she waited for an answer. No answer came. Rangiku looked at the door puzzled. The messenger behind her became fidgety.

"Sho Tashiro! This is Lieutenant Matsumoto! Open this down immediately!" Rangiku's voice suddenly became serious. No answer came.

Rangiku flung the door open only to find a ransacked room. Papers were scattered all over the floor as were the drawers that may have held the papers to begin with. The bed was torn apart and the window was bashed in.

Rangiku gasped and turned to see the messenger stiffen and with a flash he disappeared. Rangiku panicked. She ran down the hallway knocking on all the doors asking if anyone had seen Sho Tashiro. Some walked out of their room rubbing the sleep from the eyes asking each other who Sho was and why they were being woken up so early in the morning.

"Attention Squad 10! We are currently missing a Shinigami known as Sho Tashiro. You will conduct a search for her and report back to me immediately when she is found. Dismissed!"

"Yes, Lieutenant Matsumoto!" every Shinigami ran out of the barracks except one small Shinigami. She had short mousy brown hair and a nervous look on her face.

"Shinigami! Did you not hear the order?" boomed the Lieutenant's voice.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, but I'm Sho's friend and I wanted to ask if she's ok? Did something bad happen to her?" the small Shinigami trembled.

Rangiku stared at the girl. She didn't seem like much, but she might know something about Sho's disappearance. "What's your name Shinigami?" Rangiku asked sternly.

"Mayumi Nakama." the girl responded.

"Come with me Mayumi. We're going to see the Captain." Rangiku lead the way to the Captain barracks in a hurry.

"T-the Captain!" Mayumi said with shock. New subordinates rarely ever get to speak with the Captain in person.

"Yes, he may want to speak with you." Rangiku approached the Captain's door and flung it open.

"Mastumoto! How many times have I told you to knock!" Captain Hitsugaya scolded. He looked from Rangiku to Mayumi. "Who is this?" he asked

"Captain we have a problem." Rangiku said sternly. Mayumi looked down and pretended to be examining her fingers.

Toshiro looked between the two of them and sat back down in his chair. "Proceed." he said.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's short, but the next chapter will be longer. So what did ya'll think? I'd like to hear your thoughts whether good or bad. While ya'll wait I'm gonna give you a teaser (line from chapter 3).

Teaser for chapter 3: She shook her head trying the rid the memory of the day that  
the promised future they held so dearly was ripped from their grasp and  
destroyed forever.


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to the Family

A/N: Hey y'all! Chapter three is finally here! I'm a little disappointed in the beginning part and ending part of this chapter because I'm not really good at explaining how things look, so bear with me through those parts -_- Also I'm trying to incorporate all of Sho's memories about her past so y'all can understand her background, so heads up there will be a lot of memories before the story can progress further. Dont worry though I wont make it too boring ;) I hope y'all enjoy chapter 3. Now on with the story!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own Bleach... But if I did Ulquiorra would have never died! :(

Chapter 3: Welcome to the Family

Sho sat up and looked around. All she saw were trees, trees, and more trees.  
She had no idea where she was. Sho just remembered running into the woods last  
night to hide from the Shinigami that were to pursue her in the morning. _'I wonder if they realize that I'm gone  
yet?'_ Sho thought to herself. She noted that she was wearing her black  
velvet cloak. Her cloak was long and reached past her feet close to dragging on  
the ground. It had no sleeves and a sliver chain at the base of her  
neck to clasp it together. The cloak would hide her reiatsu and keep her  
hidden. She had ordered it long ago from a man named Urahara, Kisuke back when  
she was still in the Shinigami Academy training to become a Shinigami. Sho  
pulled the hood up and wrapped the cloak tighter around her and headed through  
the woods.

* * *

After awhile Sho found a small dirt road and decided to follow it until she  
found a town. She hoped that when she found the town she would be able to find out  
where she was and then continue her journey to her Grandmother's house. The  
thought of her Grandmother's house made her remember what happened there.

_/ 7-year-old Sho carried a large basin  
filled with water and set it by the little, raven black-haired boy. She wet the  
cloth in the basin, squeezed out the excess water and placed it gently on the  
unconscious boy's forehead. She recalled what Kaien had told her after leaving  
her in the care of her Grandmother 'The boy was hurt badly, so let him rest and  
while he does I want you to take care of him, Sho.' And that was just what Sho  
did. She was getting worried though. The Shinigami had left 3 days ago and the  
boy still hadn't waken up. She adjusted the cloth on his forehead, careful not  
to disturb the bandages that were carefully wrapped around his head. Before she  
could lift her hands from the boy's forehead, his hand shot up and grabbed her  
wrist in a painful grip. His eyes shot open and he pushed her to the ground.  
Sho was about to scream when she felt his grip loosen and saw him fall onto the  
pillow, dizzy from the sudden movement._

Sho looked at him sternly, stood up straight, and put her hands on her hips.  
"That wasn't very nice." The boy looked at her for a while until his  
eyes filled with recognition, but before he could say anything the girl called  
for someone "Granny! He's awake!" a few seconds later and elderly  
woman walked into the room. She was short with long white hair and deep gray  
eyes full of life.

"Oh wonderful!" she cheered. "Hello little boy, how are you  
feeling?"

The boy looked straight at Sho. Sho felt as if his piercing green eyes looked  
right into her. "I feel a little dizzy, but I'm fine." when he said  
this he was looking at, not the grandmother, but Sho.

Sho continued staring at him. She wasn't going to drop her gaze and look weak.  
"So what's your name? How old are you? And where did you come from?"

"Now honey, let's not bombard him with questions. He just woke up and is  
probably hungry. Would you like some food?" the grandmother asked.

"Yes ma'am." the boy answered politely.

"I like you manners young man, but you can just call me Granny." she  
smiled a very warm smile and exited the room to prepare a meal for their  
guest.

Sho started to feel uncomfortable being alone with this boy. He continued to  
stare at her, which made her even more uncomfortable. "So? Are you going  
to answer my questions?" she asked to clear the silence that was starting  
to crush her under its weight.

The boy sat cross-legged on the mat he was just recently sleeping on and  
averted his gaze from Sho to his fingers. After a few minutes of silence her  
looked up at her and said, "My name is Ulquiorra. I am 7 years old. And...  
Well let's just say I've been traveling." Ulquiorra looked up at her  
waiting for her response.

"My name's Sho Tashiro. Why have you been traveling by yourself?" she  
wondered why he was alone. He was too young to be traveling alone. "Where  
are your parents?"

"My parents are dead." he said flatly. Sho was startled by his  
answer. He was an orphan. Then realization dawned on her... she was too.

Sho bit her thumb nail to keep from crying. She was not gonna cry. Not in front  
of Ulquiorra.

At least she had Granny. He had no one.

Sho put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "That's it! You are not  
traveling anymore!"

"What!" he jumped to his feet, instantly regretting it, but held his  
ground.

"Granny says everyone needs a someone. Whether it's someone to care for  
them, someone to help them, or someone to just be a friend. So I'm gonna be  
your someone!" Sho said with determination.

Ulquiorra stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "I don't need a  
'someone'_! I don't need anybody! I'm fine by myself." He crossed his arms  
in frustration. Who was this girl? What made her think she could tell him what  
to do?_

"Oh yeah cause you did so well by yourself battling that hollow." she  
smirked.

"I was only fighting the hollow 'cause you were too busy crying about your  
stupid mommy and daddy to notice the hollow was gonna kill you!" Ulquiorra  
screamed at the annoying girl in front of him.

Sho felt as if he had slapped her in the face. Her shoulders dropped and she  
turned around so he couldn't see her face. She clenched her hands into fists to  
keep them from trembling.

Ulquiorra immediately regretted what he had said. He approached the girl and  
placed his hand on her shoulder. "Sho-"

Sho jerked her shoulder causing Ulquiorra's hand to fall to his side. She  
quickly turned to face him with tears in her eyes and a forced smile.  
"Ulquiorra, please stay. You shouldn't be traveling on your own. I won't  
be your someone if you don't want me to. But could you stay and maybe be my  
someone?"

Ulquiorra stood in front of her frozen in shock. He thought about the new  
possibilities in front of him. A place to live would be nice and so would a  
friend. "Ok, I'll stay, on one condition though." he paused as Sho  
looked at him expectantly. " That I am your someone and you are my  
someone." he smiled at her as her forced smile turned into a real one and  
her tears disappeared.

"Ok, but you gotta promise." she held out her hand and extended her  
pinkie toward him. He looked at her pinkie in confusion, not understanding what  
she wanted. Sho sighed and rolled her eyes. "This is how you  
promise." she grabbed his pale hand and hooked her pinkie around his and  
shook it once as if she was giving him a hand shake, but with only pinkies.

He nodded and smiled in understanding as Granny walked in with his meal.  
"Granny! Granny! Ulquiorra promised to stay with us!" Sho smiled with  
glee at her grandmother.

Ulquiorra's smile was unsure as he looked at the grandmother wondering if she  
would accept this or not. Her smile was warm though as she looked at the young  
boy and said "Welcome to the family." /

Sho smiled at the memories. Soon after that, she told Ulquiorra about the  
Shinigami who had saved them. They made a promise that day. They were both  
going to become powerful Shinigami and train together. She smiled sadly at the  
broken promise. She shook her head trying the rid the memory of the day that  
the promised future they held so dearly was ripped from their grasp and  
destroyed forever.

After she cleared her head she noticed a town a couple of miles from where she  
was standing. She recognized the little town immediately and knew exactly where  
she was. Sho turned right off of the dirt path and walked straight into the  
woods. After an hour of walking she found what she was looking for. A small  
wooden house large enough to include a living area, a kitchen, and one bed  
room. This house was surrounded by woods; no other houses around for miles.

At the back of the house there was a large clearing where two little kids used  
to run around and play all kinds of games. Sho walked around to the back to see  
it was exactly way she had left it the day she went to the Shinigami Academy to  
train. The back porch stretched across the back of the house and supported an  
overhang to keep it dry from the rain. Sitting on the porch was a tub with a  
washboard and scrub brush inside, an old doll, a couple of sticks with sharpened  
ends, and a makeshift bow and arrows.

Sho shoved the back door until it slide open and stepped into a home she hadn't  
seen in years. She closed the door with another shove and turned to the left  
and entered the living area. She took note of the mat on the floor that sported  
a scrunched up blanket and a lopsided pillow. She smiled; just the way she had  
left it. The exhausted Shinigami collapsed on the mat and was asleep before her  
head even hit the pillow.

A/N: There's chapter 3, hoped you liked it! Plz review, I'd love to hear your comments. Until next week... ;)

Chapter 4 Teaser: "Looks like this girl is tryin' real hard to hide something."


	4. Chapter 4: The Assassins

A/N: Here's Chapter 4! Read it. Enjoy it. And tell me what ya think :)

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah I don't own Bleach blah blah blah

Chapter 4: The Assassins

"I see." Captain Hitsugaya sighed. "So you believe this girl  
might have some knowledge on Tashiro's disappearance?"

"Yes, Captain." replied the Lieutenant.

"Well Mayumi, tell me everything you know about Sho Tashiro." the  
Captain said impatiently.

Mayumi was afraid to look up, because when she did she found an irritated  
Captain and Lieutenant staring at her. "W-Well S-Sho and I graduated from  
the Shinigami Academy the same year and we also shared a dorm room together.  
She's really good at being a Shinigami." Mayumi frowned as she continued.  
"She was the first one in our year to acquire a Zanpakuto and to master  
flash-step.

"Sho always admired the Tenth squad for some reason. She never told me  
why, but her goal was to be accepted into this squad. I also decided to go into  
the Tenth squad with her.

"The day we graduated Sho decided to tell me a secret and made me promise  
not to tell anyone, especially any seated officers in the squad we were about  
to join." Mayumi hesitated. The Captain and Lieutenant leaned in as their  
interests were peeked.

"Um, well, she told me she didn't want anyone to know because they would  
probably get suspicious. Suspicious about what, I don't know but what she told  
me was-" Mayumi hesitated again not wanting to betray her friend's trust.

"Oh come on, just tell us already!" urged the already impatient Matsumoto.  
For once Toshiro nodded in agreement.

"Sho told me she had achieved Shikai, three weeks before we were supposed  
to graduate." Mayumi blurted.

Rangiku gasped and Toshiro stared at the small Shinigami in shock. It was  
almost impossible to achieve Shikai while still training in the Academy, let  
alone achieving it in the first couple of years of being a new Shinigami.

'This girl must be incredibly strong. It may be why Central 46 is searching for  
her.' Toshiro thought.

"Thank you for this information Nakama, you may return to your room for  
the time being." Captain Hitsugaya led the small girl out of his office  
and slid the door shut.

"Captain, I have already ordered a part of our squad to search for Sho  
Tashiro. If she is anywhere in the Seireitei she will be found." Mastumoto  
informed.

"What if she isn't in the Seireitei." the Captain mumbled to himself.

"The girl's room was in horrible condition. Her possessions were strewn  
all over the floor as. If. Someone. Was. Looking. For. Something."  
realization dawned on her. "Captain, the window was bashed in. You don't  
think she was _kidnapped_, do  
you?" his Lieutenant stared at him, waiting for him to prove her wrong.

The Captain opened his mouth, but before he could respond he was interrupted by  
a Hell Butterfly landing on his shoulder. He extended his index finger for the  
butterfly to relay the message.

As the Hell Butterfly flew away to return to its sender Hitsugaya stated,  
"Matsumoto, there has been an emergency Captains meeting called.  
Attendance is mandatory. When I return, we will deal with this matter  
immediately." Toshiro flash stepped toward the First Division wondering  
what had caused this day to go so wrong.

* * *

"There are two urgent matters we must discuss immediately." the Head  
Captain announced as soon as Captain Hitsugaya stepped into his place in one of  
the lines of captains.

"Head Captain, shouldn't we wait until Captain Ukitake arrives?" Soi  
Fon asked from here place in line.

"That is one of the issues we will be discussing at this meeting."  
Yamamoto said sternly, upset about being interrupted. "As of today there  
have been three attempts on some of our Captains' lives." gasps and angry  
grumbles flew through the room until a single pound of a cane against the floor  
silenced them.

"Captain Kuchiki, Captain Kyoraku, and Captain Ukitake were all attacked  
by unknown assassins. Both Captain Kuchiki and Captain Kyoraku defended  
themselves and caused the assailants to flee. Unfortunately Captain Ukitake was  
caught off guard and was not as lucky. He is currently being treated in the 4th  
Division and is in stable condition.

"We believe the assailants are after captains only and there will most  
likely be more attempts on lives. I am permitting the use of Zanpakutos at all  
times.

"The second issue was brought to me by Central 46. I know none of the  
details, but it does concern one of your subordinates, Captain Hitsugaya. Have  
you been informed about the missing Shinigami, Sho Tashiro?" Yamamoto  
turned his squinting gaze upon the Captain of the Tenth Squad.

Toshiro stepped forward from his place in the captains line, "Yes, and we  
are doing everything we can to find her. I also have an interesting theory.  
Might these assailant attacks have something to do with Sho Tashiro's disappearance?

"While looking for her in her quarters we found the room to be ransacked  
and one of the windows bashed in. My Lieutenant and I believe she may have been  
kidnapped."

"And what would a newly made Shinigami have that someone would send  
assailants in to get?" Byakuya asked in a flat tone.

"One of Tashiro's friends, Mayumi Nakama, has given us some interesting  
information. While still in the Academy Tashiro mastered flash step and three  
weeks before graduation she achieved Shikai." gasps of disbelief filled  
the room, but with another slam of his cane Yamamoto silenced the room again.  
The Head Captain then turned to the Captain of the Tenth Division and asked him  
to continue.

"For some odd reason though, she had her friend promise to never tell  
anyone, especially a seated officer, about her Shikai." the young captain  
stepped back into his place in the line.

"Looks like this girl is tryin' real hard to hide something." Captain  
Kyoraku smiled as he tipped his hat down.

"There might be something more to this girl than we originally  
thought." Captain Komamura said as his ears twitched in irritation. 'How  
could Captain Hitsugaya let this go unnoticed? He should have at least sensed  
that her reiatsu was unusual for a new Shinigami. Unless she already knows how  
to suppress her reiatsu.'

Komamura's thoughts were interrupted by Yamamoto slamming his cane down twice.  
"This meeting is dismissed."

As Toshiro stalked out of the First Division as he gripped Hyorinmaru's hilt  
and mumbled to himself "This day just keeps getting worse and worse."

* * *

A/N: There's Chapter 4. Yes I know it was a boring chapter, but i needed some way to incorporate the information. Next chapter, in my opinion, is awesome and I just finished it this morning, so I'm debating on whether I should post it today or wait till next week. I'll let ya'll decide. PM me or review and tell me if you want the chapter up today or not. Until later... ;)

Teaser for Chapter 5: "He will die, Sho. Unless you fight, he will be killed very soon."


	5. Chapter 5: Bloody Reunion

A/N: Sorry I didn't post this yesterday, it's just that a 15 hour science fair + a softball tournament = a very tired me. So-*yawn*- I'll try not to let this happen again. I'm actually supposed to be doing me homework :/ oh well, English and Spanish project can wait fo later. On with the story!

Disclaimer: Owning Bleach is a privledge... that unfortunately I don't have... if i did though I'd be happily swimming in money, but sadly I am broke :(

Chapter 5: Bloody Reunion

Sho sat up on the mat and rubbed her eyes until her vision cleared up. She  
folded up the blankets, rolled up the mat, and stored it in the closet. The  
Shinigami picked up her Zanpakto, slung it across her back and headed for the  
kitchen.

When she entered the kitchen she rummaged through the old cabinets looking for  
something to hold water. Sho stumbled upon a large jug and decide to use it.

She flash stepped out the back door, through the clearing, and the woods behind  
it until she arrived at a small stream. Sho dipped the jug in and let the  
running water fill it up.

"Are you just going to keep running Sho, or will you fight back." a  
voice from behind Sho inquired.

Sho turned around to face a woman with long wavy brown hair that reached her  
mid back. She wore a black uniform, but it was sleeveless, as if someone ripped  
her sleeves off only leaving jagged edges of fabric behind. The uniform showed  
off her curves and reached past her feet. The bottom of the uniform also  
sporting jagged edges. She had sharp-angled facial features and wore dark  
sunglasses hiding her eyes from view. The strangest thing about this woman's  
appearance though was the thick, black chains that started at her shoulders and  
were wrapped around her arms. They continued down to her wrist splitting off  
into five smaller chains each wrapping themselves around one of her fingers  
seeming like a ring.

"Haven't seen you in awhile Toshimaru."

* * *

Toshiro stalked around the outskirts of the Seireitei trying to clear his head.  
Assassins are attacking captains, one of his subordinates is missing, Captain  
Ukitake is injured, and Sho Tashiro may be connected to all of it somehow.

The more the white-haired captain thought about the situation, the worse his  
headache got. Toshiro stopped, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his midsection. He looked down to see the  
point of a sword jutting out of his stomach. The sword was violently yanked out  
of his back by the attacker. The captain jumped to put distance between himself  
and the assailant. The stranger was dressed in all black. Black pants, black  
shirt, black gloves, black shoes, and a black mask. The only part of the  
attacker showing was the hateful brown eyes peering through the mask.

A thousand thoughts were running through the captains mind. _'Why hadn't I_  
_sensed them coming? Was this one of the assassins the Head Captain was talking_  
_about? Could there be more attackers other than this one?'_

Toshiro decided to push all of those thoughts out of his mind. The most  
important thing right now was surviving and with a stab wound to the stomach,  
surviving may be a little harder than he thought.

Ignoring the pain in his stomach he pulled out his sword and took his stance,  
ready for any attack that might be thrown at him. Immediately swords began to  
clash and the fight for life or death began.

* * *

"Haven't seen you in awhile Toshimaru." Sho stared at her Zanpakuto  
in amusement. "Great to see ya." she smiled at the woman leaning  
against the tree near the river bank.

"Will you fight Sho?" the materialized Zanpakuto questioned again.

"Fight? Against the Soul Society? I highly doubt I can do that." Sho  
chuckled, picked up the jar and balanced it on her hip.

"Sho. Do not attack the Soul Society. Attack the ones attacking  
them."

The Zanpakuto glared at her wielder and started muttering something about Sho  
and ignorance.

"What are you talking about?" Sho stated with a hint of annoyance.  
This was getting ridiculous. Her Zanpakuto was getting on her nerves.

"He will die, Sho. Unless you fight, he will be killed very soon."  
Toshimaru answered somberly.

Sho's eyes widened. "Who? Who's going to die?"

"Captain of the Tenth Division, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

The jar hit the ground and shattered. Toshimaru looked up from the broken  
remains of the container that once held water to see the girl that dropped it  
was gone. The Zanpakuto smiled and disappeared. Ready for the fight about to  
begin.

* * *

Toshiro stood ten feet from his attacker. His arms were caked in dried blood  
from the small cuts he had received. Blood still spilled from the wound in his  
stomach and it was getting harder to breath. He felt something warm and wet  
bubble at the back of his throat. He doubled over in pain as blood started to  
spill from his mouth.

Suddenly a sharp pain was felt in his right shoulder. The sword in his hand  
fell from his grasp and clattered to the ground. He looked over his shoulder to  
see another assassin had stabbed him from behind. When the sword was pulled out  
of his shoulder, he scooped up his sword and whipped around. A loud clank was  
heard when the two sword clashed.

Toshiro was struggling to keep his sword up. His arm was losing blood fast. He  
decided to switch his sword to his left hand and in that instant the assassin  
chose to attack. The assassin slashed his sword across the Captain's chest. The  
white-haired boy fell to his knees and screamed in agony. He looked up to see  
his attacker ready to deliver the final blow.

Suddenly darkness filled his vision. There was a loud clank and a grunt of  
anger. The Captain blinked his eyes a couple of times in disbelief. In front of  
him was a stranger wearing a long black cloak with a hood covering their head.

A loud scream sounded and the assassin fell the the ground. The stranger stood  
over the unmoving assassin with their sword held out to the side, dripping with  
blood. The sword reminded the Captain of Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai. It was a  
long, black sword with a black chain disappearing into the cloak. The two differences  
between the swords was that this one has a clear tube, half the length of the  
sword, imbedded in the blade and instead of red and black wrappings on the  
hilt, it had green and black.

The stranger turned around. Their face hidden in the shadow of their hood as  
they stalked past Toshiro toward the other assassin. Frozen in shock, the  
attacker did not react until the stranger was three feet away. The assassin  
growled in frustration and drew his sword, but before he could grip it in his  
hands, the hooded figure vanished. Out of nowhere the attacker screamed in pain  
as blood started to flow freely from his left side, the stranger appearing  
behind him with their back turned away. The assassin fell to the ground  
unmoving. Their eyes darting back and forth trying to comprehend what was going  
on.

The stranger walked slowly toward Toshiro. The Captain noticed that the chain  
that was attached to the sword wrapped around the arm of the wielder  
disappearing at the shoulder. The sleeves of, what Toshiro assumed was their  
Shinigami uniform; we're cut off, barely covering their shoulders. Blood  
dripped from the sword, creating a trail as the stranger slowly walked toward  
the injured Captain.

Bright spots danced in his vision as the one in front of him sheathed their  
sword. "Who-?" the Captain never finished his question, before he  
crumpled to the ground, falling unconscious.

* * *

"Captainnnnn!" whined Rangiku. She stumbled into the Tenth Division  
Captains office and fell onto the couch. Expecting to get a lecture, Rangiku  
grabbed a pillow and covered her head. When she was met with silence, she  
peeked out from underneath the pillow. She lifted her head and looked around  
the office, noticing she was alone.

Rangiku suddenly heard a knock. "Come in." she shouted.

"I am sorry to interrupt you Cap- Oh! Lieutenant Matsumoto, I'm sorry, I'm  
looking for the Captain. Do you know where I might find him?" Mayumi  
Nakama said as she stepped into the office.

"Oh, Mayumi. What did you need the Captain for?"Rangiku asked,  
welcoming the new distraction.

"Well, I've been thinking about what Sho had told me, about achieving  
Shikai three weeks before graduation. Well, um, about 4 months before we  
graduated Sho started to disappear in the middle of the night; not showing up  
until a couple of hours before school started. When I asked her what she was  
doing, she told me extra training. Sometimes she would disappear longer than  
that, a day at the most though. And when this would happen Sho would always ask  
me to cover for her by telling the teachers she was sick or something."  
Mayumi started to wring her hands in nervousness. "About four weeks before  
graduation, Sho disappeared. After the first day I wasn't really worried. I had  
told the teachers she was sick like I usually did, but after three days had  
gone by without hearing from her once I was starting to panic. After a week had  
past she snuck into the dorm room we shared, in the middle of the night. I  
asked where she had been, but she said she didn't want to talk about it. Her  
eyes were puffy and red, like she had been crying, so I didn't want to pry.  
Then on the day of graduation she told me about achieving Shikai three weeks  
before and that was about the time she came back, but I started thinking... If  
you add the three weeks before graduation and the week Sho had gone missing  
that makes about a month. Sho and I have been Shinigami for about three months  
now so-"

"Oh come on, what's this got to do with anything?!" grumbled the now  
irritated Lieutenant. She had been patient during Mayumi's terribly long speech  
and had politely tried not to fall asleep, but now it was getting annoying.

"Hmph! Maybe if you let me finish-"

"PLEASE!" cried Rangiku.

"Whatever. Adding those months up makes four months ago, and what big  
event happened four months ago?" Mayumi asked slowly as if she was  
addressing a child. Rangiku growled in irritation. She didn't like being  
treated this way by Shinigami that was ranked lower than her. Then realization  
dawned on her. Four months ago was the Winter War.

Rangiku looked up at Mayumi with a shocked expression. Mayumi nodded gravely.  
"You don't think-"

Rangiku was cut off when the door to the office was suddenly thrown open.  
"Lieutenant Matsumoto! You have been called to attend the emergency  
Captain's meeting immediately! It is urgent!"

Rangiku looked troubled, but nodded at the messenger. She grabbed Mayumi's  
wrist and dragged her toward the First Division with her.

"Where are we going Lieutenant Matsumoto?" Mayumi asked.

"We are going to the Captains meeting. This new information may be of  
great importance." Rangiku stalked into the room standing between the two  
lines of Captains. She glanced toward the spot where her Captain should have  
been standing, but there was no sign of him.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, who is this girl with you?" asked the Head  
Captain.

"This is Mayumi Nakama. She is the one who gave us the information on Sho  
Tashiro. She has recently brought forth some new and interesting information  
that I think you should hear Head Captain." The Head Captain turned his  
squinty gaze to Mayumi and asked her to explain.

Mayumi gave him the same speech she had given Rangiku in the barracks only  
moments earlier. Except this time she added one more thing. "Sir, I think  
Sho might have taken a part in the Winter War." The Head Captain nodded as  
if he had expected this.

"Yes, I believe you may be correct. One of the reasons this meeting was  
called was to inform all of you of the news I have received from Central 46  
concerning Sho Tashiro. Central 46 has informed me that Sho Tashiro is being  
charged of treason."

"On what grounds?" Captain Unohana asked from her place in line.

"She had been seen entering a Garganta with the Fourth Espada, Ulquiorra  
Cifer." gasps of disbelief flew throughout the room. Before Yamamoto could  
slam his cane down to silence them, all the Captains fell silent as they  
watched the small Shinigami in the middle of the room fall to her knees and  
clutched her head with both of her hands, the expression of utter disbelief  
appeared on her face. She started to mutter to herself, but no one could  
understand her.

"Mayumi? Are you alright? What are you saying?" Rangiku placed a hand  
on her shoulder and stared at her, a concerned look crossed face.

"That's impossible." Mayumi's barely audible whisper started to grow  
to almost a shout. "It's impossible! Ulquiorra is dead! He's not an  
Espada! He's dead! You're lying! Don't give Sho false hope!" Rangiku tried  
to calm her down, but it was no use. Unohana called for Isane and asked her to  
take Mayumi to the Fourth Squad's barracks. After Mayumi was  
gone the Captains started exchanging awkward glances, but the Head seemed not  
to notice.

"The second matter I wish to discuss is also of high importance. Two  
assassins were discovered paralyzed at the edge of the Seireitei. The ground  
was covered in blood and most of it was the Captain of the Tenth Division,  
Toshiro Hitsugaya's blood. We are unable to locate the Captain and he is most  
likely severely injured. We have yet to conclude whether he was taken by the  
assassins or another person who is uninvolved with the assassins." Rangiku  
stared at the Head Captain in shock. Now it was her turn to fall to her knees.  
Concerned voices and angry shouts sounded throughout the room, but Rangiku  
didn't hear a single thing.

* * *

A/N: I'd like to thank all the readers that have continued with the story. If it wasn't for ya'll I would have quit this story awhile back. Thank you again I hope you like the story.

Chapter 6 Teaser: _Rain water mixed with blood as it flowed from Sho's back and stained the grass._


	6. Chapter 6: The Revelation

**A/N: First I'd like to personally apologize for not posting this sooner. So many things came up and before I knew it, it was already summer. So for the past three days I have been agonizing over and editing this chapter. I'm a little disappointed in the end of this chapter though, because I was in such a rush to post this I just threw together an ending hoping it made just enough sense. Also I'd like to mention that I'll be going on a trip this weekend and I won't be back until Monday or Tuesday, so the next chapter might not be up until Wednesday, maybe Thursday. Sorry for the long wait, but here's Chapter 6.**

**Disclaimer:** Nope... Still don't own Bleach

Chapter 6: The Revelation

_/ As Sho glanced down at their entwined fingers, she smiled and her cheeks started turning a deep scarlet. She tried to suppress her smile, but it forced its way onto her face. She couldn't help it; she loved how his hand felt against her own and how his fingers fit perfectly into hers. Though they had been seeing each other for almost a year now, she would still blush every time he took her hand in his or tenderly kissed her lips. _

_The cherry blossom tree they sat under was in full bloom. Little pink petals danced in the wind around them. Sho glanced at the boy who reclined against the tree next to her. His eyes were closed as he slept silently. _

_Sho studied Ulquiorra's jaw line and how it curved to his chin. She traced his cheekbone down the jaw line with her thumb, gently and slowly. His eyes suddenly snapped open and before she could retract her hand, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. Gradually she relaxed into him and rested her head against his chest. He gently stroked her hair in a comforting motion, and then tilted her chin up so their eyes met. The piercing green met with the soft brown until he closed his eyes and pulled her into a sweet, tender kiss. When Sho pulled away, she gazed at how the sunlight glinted off of his face. He cradled her in his arms and whispered in her ear "I have something I want to show you." She could hear the smile in his voice. Sho nodded and let him help her to her feet. _

_He sprinted off into the woods that were behind the house they lived in with Sho's grandmother. Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder and called for her to follow him. She laughed and sprinted after him. Sho weaved through the trees and tried to catch him, but he was too fast. He had always been faster than her. _

_Sho stopped and leaned against a tree to catch her breath. That's when she heard it. A loud scream of agony. _

_Sho's eyes widened. That was Ulquiorra's voice. She ran with all her might toward the scream. When she reached a clearing she saw a large hollow, about fifteen feet tall, with a long tail and claws. The claws were dripping with blood. _

_About thirty feet in front of the hollow stood Ulquiorra with his left hand gripping his right shoulder, trying to stop the blood that was now dripping down his arm. _

_"Sho, stay away! It's too dangerous!" he screamed at her, his gaze never leaving the hollow. Sho whimpered unable to decide what to do. She tried to approach Ulquiorra to give him some kind of assistance, but he wouldn't have it. _

_"I SAID STAY AWAY!" he growled at her. She stepped back in shock. 'What do I do?! What do I do?!' Sho's mind screamed. _

_Sho looked up in time to see the hollow charge at Ulquiorra. She screamed out for him as he rolled to the side to avoid the attack. He grimaced in pain as he held his shoulder, kneeling on the ground and struggling to get up. _

_"ULQUIORRA!" Sho screamed, but it was too late. Ulquiorra looked up in time to see the hollow's tail swing. It caught him with full force and slammed him into a tree. Blood flowed down his face as he staggered to his feet swaying from side to side. He managed to get a few feet away from the tree before collapsing to the ground in a crumpled state of unconsciousness. _

_Sho ran to him and picked him up, laying his head on her lap. She cleared the hair out of his face and tried to wipe away the blood as she whispered, "Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra. Please," Tears fell from her face landing on his as she stroked his cheek gently. "Please wake up." Sho was unable to stop the many tears that were now escaping her eyes, as she held him closer. _

_The hollow roared impatiently from the other side of the clearing preparing to charge. Sho covered Ulquiorra's body with her own by planting both of her arms on either side of him as the hollow came toward them, but this time there was no kind Shinigami coming to their rescue. _

_She felt the claws rake across her back and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming out in pain. Her arms felt like jelly and gave out from beneath her, causing her to fall onto Ulquiorra. _

_A loud roar of thunder sounded as rain started to pour from the sky, soaking them to the bone. Rain water mixed with the blood as it flowed off of Sho's back and stained the grass. _

_Sho started to whimper, not just because of the pain from her back, but because of the thought of losing Ulquiorra. The thought of both of them dying at the hands of a hollow. Ulquiorra then started to stir. He opened his eyes to find a trembling Sho on top of him. When he noticed the blood his rage grew. He shook off his dizziness and gently picked her up. Ulquiorra carried her and set her down by the bushes and trees so that the foliage may hide her. _

_He turned and faced the hollow, hands clenched into fists at his side, water dripping off of him. Ulquiorra growled and charged at the hollow with his newfound strength. He dodged every attack thrown at him and was even able to injure the hollow. Every once and a while the lightning would flash and light up the small clearing, giving Sho an eerie feeling. _

_The hollow growled in irritation and grabbed Ulquiorra by his throat. Ulquiorra kicked and struggled to free himself from the hollow's grip as it lifted him up into the air. His hands clawed at the grip around his throat. He started emitting choking sounds as the grip became tighter. He was losing air, and fast._

_Sho tried to stand up, but her body wasn't listening. She reached her hand out as if trying to touch him. "Ulqui-Ulquiorra! Ulquiorra!" he glanced over in her direction and gave her a small smile before grimacing in pain again. His eyes fluttered shut and his head lolled to the side. _

_"No! No, Ulquiorra! Ulquiorra! Ulquiorra, wake up! Please wake up! Don't leave me!" Sho's strangled cry sounded throughout the forest, but Ulquiorra did not move. The hollow seemed not to care about Sho as he lifted Ulquiorra up higher into the air and opened its mouth. Spots danced in Sho's vision as she tried to call out again, but all she managed was a hoarse whisper, "Ulquiorra, please don't leave me." Tears streamed down her face as she blacked out completely. /_

Sho sat up suddenly, drenched in sweat. She put a hand over her chest, feeling her rapid heartbeat, while trying to control her unsteady breathing. "Haven't had that dream in a while." she grumbled to herself as she untangled the blankets that were wrapped around her legs. Glancing to her left, she stared at the boy who slept on his own mat a few feet away. He wore a scowl on his face; his eyes were squeezed shut, as he mumbled some unintelligent nonsense. It seemed that his dreams weren't any better than hers. She fell back down onto the mat and tried to get some rest, but the memory of that day continued to haunt her the rest of the night.

* * *

Toshiro opened his eyes slowly as he searched his mind, trying to figure out where he was. Glancing down, he noticed that his shirt had been replaced with a multitude of bandages, dark patches of red decorating the white cloth. He glanced to his left to find a brown-haired girl dressed in a Shinigami uniform, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his sword lying across her lap. Her eyes were closed in a meditative state. Looking back at the sword lying across the girl's lap, he noticed something- that was _his_ sword. Rage grew inside of him as he leapt up, tackled the girl to the ground, unsheathed his sword and pressed it against her throat. The girl's eyes popped open as she started to gasp for breath. It took her a few seconds before she could register the situation she was in. She looked up into his cold eyes and smiled.

"You should be lying down or your wounds will open up." she pressed her hand against his bandaged stomach. He growled and pressed his blade harder into her throat, though not hard enough to break skin. The girl grimaced as she brought her hand back and showed him her palm. It was soaked with his blood. "Too late." she chuckled.

"Who are you?!" he demanded, irritation seeping into his voice.

The girl underneath him chuckled again. "Don't you think it's kind of rude to tackle a girl to the ground, threaten her, and then demand to know her name? Because I do."

'Was this some kind of game to her?' Toshiro thought to himself. "Tell me who you are now or I will not hesitate to slit your throat." The girl smiled at his cold demeanor.

"Ok, ok. My name is Sho Tashiro, and I am no threat to you, so would you be so kind as to get off of me." Toshiro stiffened. This was the infamous Sho Tashiro?

"You need to lie down so I can replace your bandages." she said as she began to wiggle out from underneath him. Sho stood up and dusted herself off while ignoring the sword pointed at her throat. She patiently looked at wielder of the sword for a few minutes before speaking.

"Well aren't you going to lie down?" she asked calmly.

"Not before you answer my questions." he glared, sword still pointed in her direction.

Sho sighed. "Fine, but only if they're reasonable." she smiled, satisfied with herself. She sat down, cross-legged, on the floor. Sho wasn't going to let Toshiro intimidate her, so she acted relaxed and perfectly comfortable with the situation, while on the inside she was panicking, hoping Toshiro would not make good on his promise to slit her throat.

"Where am I?"

"My house." was Sho's simple answer.

"Where is that?"

"In the middle of the woods."

"I meant what district." The young boy growled in frustration. This girl was irritating him. She had no respect for him at all, and was trying to evade the questions by giving him half-truths.

"I'm not sure. My grandmother never told me." Sho shrugged.

"Your grandmother?"

"Yeah!" Sho's eyes sparkled "My grandmother was the sweetest woman you could have ever met. After my parents were killed by a hollow she took me in. I lived here with my grandmother and-" Sho stopped, her eyes becoming distant.

"Tashiro? Is something the matter?" Toshiro asked, unable to stop the concern from seeping into his voice.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I just remembered something unpleasant. Continue with your questions." she forced a smile onto her face and turned to look at him again.

The young boy cleared his throat before starting again. "Were you the one who attacked those assassins?"

Unease came over Sho's expression. She glanced over at her sword lying against the wall, until she felt the point of a sword dig into her neck and heard a growl. "Don't even think about it."

Sho shook her head "Don't worry I wasn't. I just..." Sho sighed. "Yes, I was the one who paralyzed the assassins."

"Paralyzed?"

Sho pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an irritated sigh. She hadn't meant to say that. "Um... well, yes, kind of."

Sho groaned. "That-" she nodded her head toward the sword lying against the wall. "- is my Zanpakuto and that's what I used to defeat the assassins. My Zanpakuto is kind of... special." Sho bit her lip.

The young captain quirked an eyebrow. "Care to explain."

"Um... well you see... I have-"

"Tashiro. I'm well aware of your Shikai. There is no point in hiding the details of your sword from me now. "

Sho looked taken aback by his words, but only for a few seconds before she started grin. "Instead of explaining what my sword does." In a flash Sho appeared on the other side of the room and grabbed her sword. "How 'bout I show you."

The Captain glared at her and gripped his sword tighter. Wincing, he looked down to see blood dripping from his soaked bandages.

Sho's grin quickly turned into a frown as she took in the condition of the Captain. "But first, we're going to need to replace your bandages and wait for you to heal." Slinging her sword across her back, she walked calmly toward the Captain.

Toshiro stiffened as she approached. "I'm not going to hurt you." she held her hands up as if surrendering. "If I meant to hurt you I wouldn't have saved you from the assassins or have tried to heal your wounds."

The young boy was still hesitant, but lowered his sword. "Could you lie down?" Sho asked. Toshiro lay down on the mat as Sho approached a cabinet on the other side of the room and retrieved a bag from within it. Walking back, she knelt down beside him and rummaged through the bag filled with bandages and different types of medicine. After stripping off the bandages, Sho started to rub an ointment onto the wounds in Toshiro's stomach and his right shoulder. A slight blush rose onto his cheek and he quickly looked away. Sho tried to hide her smile, while she wrapped the new bandages over his wounds.

"When I woke up, you had my sword lying across your lap, why?" Toshiro questioned as he watched her stuff all of the medical supplies back into the small bag.

Sho looked at him guiltily, "Uh, sorry about that. Well I guess you could say it's one of my 'special powers'. I can communicate with Zanpakutos other than mine, which is, now that I think about it, probably the reason why my Zanpakuto can manifest herself whenever she wants to. Speaking of which, earlier I was having a nice conversation with Hyorinmaru, until you rudely interrupted." Sho pouted playfully.

Toshiro closed his eyes and tried searching for his Zanpakuto's spirit, so that he may confirm what was being said by Tashiro, but only found silence. That was odd, but Toshiro decided to dismiss it.

"Tashiro, I can't help but wondering," The young Captain slowly started to sit up, "what happened to you? We found your room ransacked, and you were gone." Toshiro noticed the girl in front of him stiffen.

"Oh, um, I…" Sho grabbed her medical bag and quickly walked to the other side of the room to place it back into its cabinet. "I have some urgent business to take care of in the World of the Living, so I just… left." Sho bit her lip, hoping her Captain would drop the subject.

"You decided on your own, without permission, without saying a word to anyone, to just leave?" Toshiro narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Something wasn't right. "Why was your room ransacked? And what is this urgent matter in the World of the Living you have to take care of?"

"Well I left in a hurry, so I'm not surprised that my room is a mess." Sho laughed half-heartedly trying to break the tension between them and hoping he would believe her lie. It did not work. "A friend of mine lives in the World of the Living and there are some things I wish to discuss with them."

"What sort of things?" Toshiro questioned.

"Some personal things I'd rather you not get involved in." Sho glared back at him. "My only problem is that I have no way of getting to the World of the Living." Sighing dejectedly Sho glanced out the window to find a darkening sky. "It's getting late. I'll go make dinner." She said as she made her way to the door.

"Tashiro." The young Captain called out, causing Sho to stop midstride.

"Yeah?" Sho glanced back at the boy sitting cross-legged on the mat. He was looking at the ground; an expression of indecisiveness could be seen on his face.

"Why did you save me from the assassins? And why did you bring me here to heal my wounds?" These were the questions that plagued the Captain's mind, the entirety of the conversation between the two.

Sho shrugged. "You're my Captain, and I wanted to help you. Anyway, I couldn't just leave you there; you would have bled out and died by the time any help could have arrived." Smirking she turned to leave him.

"Tashiro, Central 46 is looking for you." Toshiro stared at Sho, who had paused in the doorway. Sighing she nodded."What are you going to do?" he asked, but she had already disappeared through the doorway.

* * *

"The dinner was delicious. Thank you." Actually the dinner was great; he was surprised by her ability to cook, but he wasn't going to admit that to her.

"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Sho smiled

Sighing, the young Captain looked over to his subordinate, "Tashiro, I've been thinking about your need to visit the World of the Living, and as your Captain I've decided to grant you permission to go to the World of the Living." He watched as the girl's eyes grew wide and a large smile appeared n her face. "But only on the condition that when you return to the Soul Society, you will immediately report to Central 46."

"Thank you so much, Captain!" Sho lunged toward the unsuspecting Captain and wrapped her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Tashiro!" After several attempts, Toshiro finally managed to peel the girl off of him and scoot a fair distance away from her, in case she attacked him again. "I swear you are worse than Matsumoto."

Sho giggled, trying hard to hide the pang of guilt she was feeling. Her real reason for going to the World of the Living was to escape Central 46 and the sentence she is most likely to receive from them. Execution. She would not be fulfilling her side of the deal, because she would not be returning to the Soul Society at all.

"I'm going to turn in for the night. Thank you again for the meal, Tashiro." Her Captain's words brought her back to reality; she quickly nodded and started to clear off the table. "I'll open the Senkaimon for you in the morning, after that you are on your own." Toshiro wished her a good night, and then turned to leave.

"Um, Captain?" Toshiro looked back at Sho who was staring down at her hands. "Thank you." The Captain nodded and exited the room, sliding the door shut behind him.

Sighing, Sho laid back onto the floor, resting her head on her hands and mumbled to herself, "What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, but there will not be a teaser this week due to the... lack... of chapter 7 :/ But I'd like to thank all of the readers who have stuck with this story and have dealt with the long wait for this chapter, I really appreciate it guys. Thx! :)**


End file.
